Susan Quilty's Blog

Questions about audiobooks come up at nearly every book event I attend. I get it. I’ve been wanting to produce my first audiobook for ages… It’s taken nearly 10 years, but I’ve finally made that happen!

While I had several books to choose from, my heart was set on starting with my first novel, The Insistence of Memory. Still, that was a difficult choice when there were strong arguments for starting with To the Left of Death, my only first-person novel, or Healers and Thieves, the first book in Th...

Heading into spring, it’s time for another Blend Coffee Bar Book Fair. This free event will be held on April 4, 2026, from 12-5 pm. It will include over 50 local authors, including me!

The book fair will be held on Blend Coffee Bar’s spacious patio and adjacent lawn. Authors will span a wide range of genres, making it easy to find books for yourself, your friends, and your family.

Blend Coffee Bar is a local business that supports the community with a variety of special events, including open mic ...

Let’s get real about meditation. You’ve already heard that meditation has proven benefits. You think it would be great to add some meditation to your day… in theory.

But your thoughts are like chattering voices that won’t be quiet. One judging what you are currently doing, another thinking about all the other things you need to be doing, another wondering if you’re hungry, maybe another singing an earworm, on repeat. And so on…

Trying to quiet those voices may seem impossible. That’s okay.

Luckily...

The day before the big winter storm of 2026, I was having a lovely time at Williams Gap Vineyard’s winter book fair.

This was my second book fair at Williams Gap Vineyard, after having a great time at their event last summer. While the June event was on their beautiful patio, this book fair was held in a cozy upstairs alcove.

With the forecasted storm, we were pleasantly surprised when the vineyard had a fantastic turnout with every table filled. While I’m sure many people had come for some wine a...

You may already know the benefits of meditation, but where do you begin? Among the many styles of meditation, guided meditations are often the easiest place to start. You can simply find a comfortable seat, relax your gaze, and let the words flow through you. Which leads to the next challenge: where to find guided meditations that speak to you. One option is to explore the wide range of meditations available through Insight Timer, including practices led by me.

Insight Timer is an international p...

Nadi shodana, also known as alternate nostril breathing, is a common pranayama technique. It’s thought to restore balance, purify your energy, and leave you feeling more steady and calm.

The “nadi” part of nadi shodana refers to energy pathways (nadis) that run throughout the body. This particular method of breath control focuses on two nadis: ida, which runs through the left side of the nose, and pingala, which runs through the right side of the nose. 

Ida and pingala have opposite qualities. Ida...

This was my second year as an author at Eat Local Read Local, Loudoun County’s annual local author book fair. The October weather was lovely (warm in the sun!), and I was in good company with over 70 local authors, including some I’ve gotten to know better through previous events.

Two author friends were conveniently located near me: J. Denison Reed and Austin Shirey. You can visit LCPL’s event site to see all of the authors who were there: Eat Local Read Local.

While the turnout was a little quie...

Have you listened to Freely Written, my short-story podcast? You can find it here: Freely Written or wherever you listen to podcasts. It features very short stories (about 10 minutes) that are free-written from prompts with no planning and very little editing. I simply sit down with a chosen prompt and write whatever comes to mind. Any genre, any style. Though I do keep them family-friendly.

With well over 100 episodes, there are many short stories to explore. Since they are written without plann...

We recently visited my dad to celebrate his 90th birthday. 90 years. When I think about my own life, 90 years seems like such a long time. Yet, my dad fits the expression “90 years young.”

My dad and stepmother will say they are slowing down, while still living in their own home and taking care of themselves as they always have. There are some inevitable health issues and challenges in getting around, but using a cane seems like a minor concession to living through 9 decades!

It was lovely to see ...

You loved a book, you want to support the author, but do you write a review? I get it. Even knowing their importance, I don’t make time to write book reviews as often as I could.

Often, we put too much pressure on ourselves to write a great review. We want to be thoughtful and witty. We may want to be entertaining. There’s nothing wrong with that. Well-written reviews are fun to read, especially when you’ve finished a book and want to compare others’ opinions.

Yet, book reviews do not have to be e...